This invention relates in general to the field of mobile terminals and wireless telecommunications networks and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for selectively enabling, continuing or disabling certain applications when moving between different types of networks.
In the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) there exists a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) that can typically be pluggably connected and disconnected to a mobile terminal. The SIM stores information regarding a particular user. The SIM has well defined and limited capabilities, and the network-side Visitor Location Register (VLR) and Home Location Register (HLR) are capable of inter-operating with different types of SIM cards.
By way of introduction, at page 24 of a document xe2x80x9cDraft (GSM 11.11 version 5.8.0), December 1997xe2x80x9d there is described the logical model for a SIM, the code associated with it, and the structure of files used. Reference is made to FIG. 4, which shows the organization of SIM memory and the general structural relationships which may exist between files. The files are organized in a hierarchical structure and are of one of three types as defined below. These files may be either administrative or application specific. The operating system handles the access to the data stored in different files.
Files are composed of a header, which is internally managed by the SIM, and optionally a body part. The header information is related to the structure and attributes of the file and may be obtained by using commands GET RESPONSE or STATUS. This information is fixed during the administrative phase. The body part contains the data of the file.
A file ID is used to address or identify each specific file. The file ID consists of two bytes and is coded in hexadecimal. The first byte identifies the type of file, and for GSM is: xe2x80x983Fxe2x80x99 Master File (MF); xe2x80x987Fxe2x80x99 1st level Dedicated File (DF1); xe2x80x985Fxe2x80x99 2nd level Dedicated File (DF2); xe2x80x982Fxe2x80x99 Elementary File under the Master File (EF); xe2x80x986Fxe2x80x99 Elementary File under a 1st level Dedicated File; and xe2x80x984Fxe2x80x99 Elementary File under 2nd level Dedicated File.
The File IDs are specified to be subject to the following conditions. First, the file ID is assigned at the time of creation of the file. Second, no two files under the same parent can have the same ID. And third, a child and any parent, either immediate or remote in the hierarchy, e.g. a grandparent, can have the same file ID. In this way each file is uniquely identified in the SIM.
It has been known in the art to provide different telephone number series to identify SIM cards with different capabilities, but this approach is wasteful of the finite telephone number space.
As modern wireless telecommunications systems evolve (such as the new so-called third generation (3G) systems) they offer the capability to provide users with even more functions, as well as more complicated functions and, as such, the problems related to identifying SIM cards with different functionality are becoming more prominent. A significant amount of standardization activity is underway to develop 3G systems, such as the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and IMT-2000. Reference with regard to UMTS can be had to xe2x80x9cWideband CDMA for Third Generation Mobile Communicationsxe2x80x9d, Artech House Publishers, ISBN 0-89006-735-X, by Ojanperxc3xa4 and Prasad (particularly Chapter 12).
One basic problem relates to how the serving network can determine what kind of SIM or Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) card is currently in use, and what its capabilities are, e.g., what applications is the SIM/USIM capable of executing? For example, if the network could determine the capabilities of the SIM/USIM card and the application(s) that it is capable of executing, then it can execute the desired application with the best possible input from the start. Another problem is simply how and where to best store the information about the SIM/USIM capabilities.
As such, it can be appreciated that problems have arisen that relate to how to most optimally handle and coordinate the increased functionality and capabilities that exist in and between modern wireless telecommunications systems, such as the new 3G systems, and 3G SIM/USIM subscriber cards. Another problem relates to dealing with the inter-operation and compatibility between current telecommunications systems (e.g., 2G systems) and 3G SIM/USIM cards and mobile terminals, in particular multi-band mobile terminals, such as those capable of operating in two or more frequency bands with two or more different network types (e.g., with a GSM network and also with a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network.)
It is a first object and advantage of this invention to provide methods and apparatus for overcoming the foregoing and other problems.
It is a further object and advantage of this invention to provide a technique for optimizing a network-mobile equipment interaction and inter-operability, especially when using certain applications whose execution is network specific.
It is another object and advantage of this invention to provide an Integrated Circuit Card (ICC) that stores at least an identification and the operational capabilities of the ICC in each of a plurality of different networks, and that can be accessed by a mobile equipment to which the ICC is readably coupled.
It is a still further object and advantage of this invention to provide the Integrated Circuit Card (ICC) that stores at least the identification and the operational capabilities of the ICC in each of the plurality of different networks, that can be accessed by the mobile equipment to which the ICC is readably coupled, and to then provide for the mobile equipment to transmit the retrieved information back to a requesting network, such as to a VLR of the requesting network.
The foregoing and other problems are overcome and the objects of the invention are realized by methods and apparatus in accordance with embodiments of this invention.
In accordance with this invention a mobile equipment having 2G and/or 3G capabilities can run some applications in the network or in the mobile equipment, which may have a relationship to the SIM or USIM card that is in use. Alternatively the entire application can reside in the SIM/USIM card. This invention provides a technique for informing the network as to the capabilities of the application(s) of a particular mobile equipment, as the capabilities may affect the manner in which the application is executed.
One benefit of this inventive technique is that no SIM/USIM capability information need be stored in the network. Preferably, existing message types are used to relay the capability information from mobile equipment to the network. Also, existing SIM/USIM cards can store the information. An important benefit of the teaching of this invention is that the network can use the applications and new features in the SIM/USIM card in the best possible way.
In accordance with this invention a mobile equipment, such as a cellular radio telephone, includes a controller coupled to a wireless transceiver for bidirectionally communicating with one of a plurality of different networks, such as a GSM network and a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network. A data storage module, referred to herein as a SIM/USIM or as a UICC (UMTS Integrated Circuit Card), is readably coupled to the controller. The module stores information for specifying at least an identification and the operational capabilities of the module in each of the plurality of different networks. The controller is responsive to a request received from one of the plurality of networks through the transceiver for accessing the module to retrieve the stored information and for transmitting the retrieved information to the requesting one of the networks through the transceiver.